balkan route

In the lead up to the European Parliament Elections, the German politician Manfred Weber has promised Bulgarians tight measures against illegal migration. Bulgaria was a critical part of the Balkan route at the height of the migrant crisis.

It has become increasingly difficult for refugees to make their way from Greece to Central Europe. Even in the face of police violence and the risk of arrest, thousands still embark on the dangerous journey.

Bulgaria's interior minister has announced that security has been tightened along the southern border of the country. Meanwhile, the Bosnian government says that if European borders remain 'hermetically closed' to migrants, Bosnia will also close its eastern and southern borders.

The German government, responding to clashes between migrants and police on the Greek-Turkish border on Friday April 5, has promised to act quicker to quell misinformation about migration and migration routes on the web.

Bosnian Security Minister Dragan Mektic said about 70,000 migrants are ready to depart Greece for countries in western Europe. The situation concerns Bosnia because many of the migrants may attempt to reach Europe through the Balkan route.

In 2015, more than a million people fled to Europe, making it a record year for migration. But a lot has changed since then. As 2019 gets underway, fewer and fewer people are attempting to get to Europe by irregular means.

Sixteen migrants including six children were saved on the Pljesevica mountain, which marks the border between Bosnia and Croatia. They are all in precarious health condition after being exposed to freezing temperatures.